1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to specimen inspection and review systems.
2. Description of the Background Art
Automated inspection and review systems are important in process control and yield management for the semiconductor and related microelectronics industries. Such systems include electron beam (e-beam) based systems and other types of systems.
Once a potential defect is detected, a typical review sequence to analyze the defect may include “die-to-database” re-detection. Such “die-to-database” re-detection typically involves comparing an image containing the defect with a reference image. The reference image is assumed to be defect-free. The reference image is typically captured from a reference integrated circuit die. Alternatively, the reference image may be a rendered image based on the CAD (computer aided design) layout of the integrated circuit.
Unfortunately, such conventional review sequences have disadvantageous aspects and inefficiencies. The present disclosure provides a novel technique to overcome some of these disadvantages and inefficiencies.